Thread holder for weft-replenishing looms



June 3, 1930.

A. A. GORDON THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Nov. 24, 1928 mm. :X 4

Patented June 3, 1930 UITED STATES,

PA E O F 1 7 ALBERT A. GGRIDON, or WORGESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR To GROMPTON &

KNOWLES LOOIVI worms,- OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or- MASSACHUSETTS I THREAD HOLDER FOR wnrT-nnrnnmsnme LOOMS Application filed November 24, 1928. Serial No. 321,672. 2

V This invention relates to improvements in thread holders for weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a clamp and tensioning device which may be caused to act in unison so that by a single operation the weaver may subject new threads to tensionto take up slack'anc also clampthe threads in position. j

In multicolor weft replenishing mechanisms itis customary to store the reserve bobbins in several vertical stacks and to lead the weft ends of the bobbinsto a thread holder. As the and it is desirable to provide some means for taking-up this slackness. It is of course necessary to provide some means for holding the ends of the wefts and it is a further object of my present invention to provide a. friction thread holding clamp and a weighted slack taking-up device which can both be moved to thread receiving position by a single operation on the part of theweaver. I In the form of'thread holder shown in my prior Patent No. 1,631,861, I have showna weighted hook which must be raised at the time a new supply of bobbinsis inserted in the magazine so that the hook can act on the new threads. It is a further object of my present invention to actuate the thread Clamp by the weighted hook as the latter is raised.

It is a more specific object of my present invention to provide a weftend retainer having a thread engaging element to be brought in frictional Contact witha surface against which the weft'threads are held by. means'of a yielding device which can be lifted when I 7 thread slack taking-up or tensioning element 19 having at its upper end a hook 20 and at its it is desired to establish a new relation'between the weft ends and the clamp.

T/Vith these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my

invention relates in thecombination and arrangement of parts herelnafter descr1bed and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of weft replenishing mechanism made according to my'present invention,

V bobbins descend toward transfer position theweft ends become slack gles .to extend ig. 2 is an enlarged detailed top plan view taken in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevation taken in D the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1.

F1g. 4 is a vertical section on line 4e4 of F 1g. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a detailed vertical section on line I 5+5 of Fig. 2. I p

I The magazine M is preferably. of the multicolor type and has provision I for storing reserve bobbins Bin vertical stacks one of. \Vl'l1Cl1 '1S indicated at 10 in Fig; 1. The

bobbins have thread ends 11 which must'be held to a fixed point and which p'referabv V should be acted upon by a slack takingnp or tension ng device. The magazine. ma be of The frame of the magazine is provided with an arm 12 through which extends a rod 13 substantially parallel to the lay of the loom not shown and held in adjusted longitudinal position by a'set screw 14. The outer end of the rod 13 is bent at rightean= in this instance rearwardly as at 15, V 1 e The thread controller indicated generally at T is mounted on the rear extension 15 and comprises a head 16 from which depends a guide section 17. There are extending vertically through the head 16 a plurality of cylindrical openings, shown in this instance the general form shown in prior Patent No. v

as four and designated at 18. These holes 18 may if'desired be staggered and arranged fin parallel pairs as suggested in Fig, 2 to economize space.

Located in each of the openings 18 is a lower enda weighted cylindrical element 21 into which the hook extends and to which the latter is. secured. I The bores 1 8 extend downwardly through the guide portion '17 so that forjall vertical positions within the thread controller T the weighted elements 21 will be guided; Stop rods 22 may extend red 13 and its manner of adjustment may Y end of a rod 42 the upper end of which isbent to extend horizontally as indicated at 43 in Fig. 3. The lower end of each of the rods 42, is provided with an enlarged cylinder 14: which fits into the corresponding bore 41. A compression spring a5 is located between the upper end of the bore 41 and the cylinder 44 and tends normally to hold the horizontalextension 18 in its lowest position, that is, seated in the groove as shown in Fig. 4. The groove and extensions 43 are so proportioned that the latter will fit close.y into the groove and hold any weft ends W which may be lie thereunder as suggested in Fig. 2.

The guide portion 14 is provided with a plurality of vertical slots 50 which extend transversely with respect, to the extension 15 and there is oneof these vertical slots for each bore 18', intersecting the latter centrally Each weight 21 is provided with a lifting pin 51 which extends on the right and left hand sides, respectively, of the portions 17 as shown in Fig. At. Each pin extends through one of the slots 50-and it is by this means that the hook is held in the proper plane to effect ready threading when new bobbins are being put into the magazine. I 4

As shown in Fig. i the left hand end of each pin is extended as at Fig. 2 to lie under the corresponding cylinder 4:4. The slots in addition to determining the plane of the hooks also require the extension 52 to remain in alignment with its corresponding cylinder 1 The rods 4E2 may emend through the extension 15 if desired and the thread controlling device T may be held to saidextension by means of set screws 53.

In operation when new bobbins are to be added to the magazinethe weft ends will be drawn to the left as shown in Fig. 1 and the operator will lift the pin 51 which will of course cause a corresponding upward movement of the weight 21 and the corresponding hook 20 until the latter lies above the top sur face of the head 16. The distance between the extension 52 and the corresponding cylinder l-l is such that when the hook 20 is in theposition shown in Fig. 5 the lifting rod 51 and the rod 412 corresponding thereto will be in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. It will therefore be possible by a single upward movement of rod. 51 on the part of thread tightly in the groove 40 before the corresponding hook 20 has been lowered to a position where it can stress the warp threads, that is, inthe downward movement of the lifting pin 51 the clamping arm 13 strikes the thread and holds it in position before the hook 20 is able to tension the threads. This result is accomplished by having the distance between the extended end 52 of pin 51 and the corresponding cylinder 44: greater than the distance between the associated hook 20 and the top surface of the head 16, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided clamping and tensioning means for the weft ends of reserve bobbins, both of the devices being under a single control so that the operator may use one hand to hold tne weft ends in the other hand to place the thread controller in a condition to receive the threads. that in the sequence of operations the clamp will engage the thread and hold the same securely in the slot 10 before the tensioning elements engage the" thread. Vfhile I have shown in rods 12 as extending through the rearwardl'y extending end of the supporting bar 13 yet I do not wish to be limited to this construction as it is sufficient if the said rods l2 are free to move up and down with respect to the head 16 and the latter is supported by the bar.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit and scope of'the invention and I do not wish to be limited to thedetails herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1.v In a thread holding and tensioning device for a weft replenishing loom having a supply of weft bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a thread tensioning element for the weft ends, a thread clamping element for the weft ends, said tensioning element being intermediate the weft supply and clamping element, and means to move the vice for a weft replenishing loom having a supply of weft bobbins from each of-which extends a weft end, a tensioning element for the weft ends, a clamping element to hold the weft ends, said tensioning element being intermediate the weft supply and clamping element, and means operative from a single point of control to move both of said elements to'weft end receiving position.

4. In a thread holding and tensioning device for a weft replenishing 'loomhaving a supply of weft bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a fixed frame, a thread tensioning element movable in the frame, a thread clamping element movable in the frame-and cooperating with the latter to hold weft ends, and means operative from a single point of c'ontrol to move bothof said elements relatively to the frame to a position to receivefreshweft ends;

5. In a thread holding and tensioning device for a weft'replenishi'ng loom having a supply of weft bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a frame, a hooked thread tensioningmember slidable in the frame, a thread clamping member also slidable in the 7 frame, said elements normally being in positions incapable of receiving fresh weft ends, and means to connect said elements operatively together so that movement of one of them to thread receiving position will cause movement of the other to thread receiving position. r i

6. In a thread holding and tensioning de -vice for a weft replensishing loom having a supply of weft bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a thread clamping element for the weft ends, a thread tensioning element for the weft ends, one of said elements being normally outof thread receiving position and connections between said elements whereby movement of one of said ele-- ments to thread receiving position will cause movement of the other elements also to thread receiving position.

7. In a thread holding and tensioning device for a weft replenishing loom havinga supply of weft bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a fixed member, a thread tensioning element slidable in and normally housed within the member, a thread clamping element slidable in the member and normally cooperating with the latter to clamp weft ends, bothof said elements normally being incapable of receiving new weft ends, and a single control member for moving both of said elements relatively to the member to weft end receiving position. 7

8. In a thread holding. and tensioning device for a weft replenishing loom having a supply of weft bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a fixed member having an upwardly extending'face, a thread tension ing element movable within the member by gravity and tending to move away from said face of the 'member, a clamping elementmovably mounted on the member and cooperating with the latter normally to hold'weft" ends, and means to operatively connect said elements so that when one of them 'is' moved to thread receiving positionin a direction transverse of said face the other-of said elements will automatically be moved to thread" receiving position. V v

9. In a thread holding. and tensioning de: vice for a weftreplenishing'l'oom having a' supply of weft bobbins from each of which I ing with the latter to hold the weft ends, and,

' means to establish operative connection 'between said elements when one-ofthem is bemg moved to thread receivlng positlon n a direction toward the surface of the member to cause movementof the other element to thread receiving position.

10. In a thread holding and vice for a weft replenishing loom having a supply of weft bobbins, from each of which extends a weft end, a member having a pair of substantially parallel borestherein, a ten sioning element located in one of thebore s, and

normally with the member to hold the weft ends, and means to operatively connect said tensioning at: 7

' capableof cooperatingwith 'sai d'inember to tensionthe weft ends, a clampingelement 'movable in the other bore and-cooperating of substantially vertical .parallel bores there in, a thread tensioning element actuated by. v gravity and movable .in one of said bores and cooperatingwith the member to tension the weft ends, a thread clamping element movable in the other bore and normally cooperat-;

ing with the member to hold the weft ends, both of said elements normally being incapa bleof receiving fresh weft ends, and means toestablishoperative connection between said.

elements sothat when one of the latter is moved to thread receiving position the'other element will also be moved automatically to,

thread receiving position.

vice for a. weft replenishing loom having a supply of weft bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a thread tensioning ele-.

ment capable of a comparatively large movement to take up slack in the weft ends, a

thread clamping element to be given a comparatively small movement to receive fresh ends and release old ends, and a lost motion connection between said elements operative during the latter part of the movement of the tensioning element toward position to receive a fresh weft end to cause the clamping element to move to releasing position to receive fresh weft ends.

.13. In a thread holding and tensioning device for a weft replenishing loom having a supply of weft bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a member having a pair movable in one of said bores and normally cooperating .with the member to hold the weft ends, a tensioning element movable in the other bore and cooperating with the mem- 4 her to take'up slack in the weft ends, a pin carried by one of the elements and positioned for engagement with the other element, and guidemeansformed on the member to cause the pin to move into engagement with one of the elements when the element ;carrying the pin is moved.

14. In a thread holding and tensioning device for a weft replenishing loom having a supply of weft bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a member having an upper face in which there is an opening across which the weft ends may extend, a tensioning element having a portion to engageweft ends and cooperate with said upper surface of the member to'take up slack in the weft ends, a clamping element cooperating with the member to hold the weft ends, and a device carried by thetensioning element to engage the clamping element to move the latter to releasing position when the tensioning ele mentismoved toward the aforesaid surface of the member, the distance between the de vice and the clamping element normally being greater than the distance between the portion of the tensioning element which engages the weft end and the aforesaid surface ofthe member.

.15. In a thread holding and tensioning device for a weft replenishing loom having a supply of weft bobbins from each of which 3; extends a weft end, a weft tensioning element to take up slack in the weft ends, a weft clamping element to hold the weft ends, said elements normally being in position incapable of receiving fresh weft ends, and means to move said elements to thread receiving position in such order that the tensioning element is in position to receive fresh weft ends before the clamping element is in such position.

16.. In a .threaddholding and. .tensioning deweft supply and clamping element, means to move said elements to thread receiving position, and means whereby the clamping element will operate to clamp the weft ends before the tensioning element is capable of tensioning the weft ends.

17. In a thread holding and tensioning de- I vice for a weft replenishing loom having a supply of weft bobbins from each of which extends a weft end, a tensioning element to take up slack in the weft ends, a clamping element to hold the weft ends, said elements normally being in a position incapable tov receive weft ends but capable of movement together toward a position to receive fresh weft ends, and means establishing connections between said elements so proportioned that when said elements move from thread receiving position to normal position the clamping element will become operative to hold the weft ends before the tensioning element operates to take up slack. 1

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ALBERT A. GORDON. 

